Oakland

Brazilian pianist and singer Eliane Elias will showcase her 2015 album “Made in Brazil” during a series of shows at Yoshi’s in Oakland. (Courtesy of Eliane Elias)

Pianist, composer and singer Eliane Elias has been impressing music fans with her distinctive classical-meets-Brazilian-jazz style and abundance of talent for more than three decades. She’s showcasing her 2015 release “Made in Brazil” (her first album recorded in her native Brazil since moving to New York in 1981) with a run at Yoshi’s in Oakland that runs March 2-5. Tickets are $39-$85; 510-238-9200, www.yoshis.com.
— Randy McMullen, Staff

Yowsah! It should be nothing short of amazing when Nile Rodgers leads his legendary disco-soul outfit Chic into the Fox Theater in Oakland on Saturday. Come on out and see the group perform such funky favorites as “Le Freak,” “Good Times” and “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah).” The group is also known to perform material that Rodgers wrote/produced for other artists, such as Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and Diana Ross’ “Upside Down.” House music icon Todd Edwards opens the concert. Show time is 8 p.m. and tickets are $55-$75, www.ticketmaster.com.
— Jim Harrington, Staff

The Pixar animated short “Sanjay’s Super Team” will get a special screening at the Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival. (Pixar)

The Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival is back for its eighth year beginning Jan. 29, featuring more than 60 family-friendly films and shorts — animation and live action — and chances to see filmmakers talk about their works and other demonstrations about making movies and animation. And they’re not kidding about the “International” part — films representing Spain, Egypt, Lebanon, Brazil, Ireland, England, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Russia, Australia, Switzerland, India, Croatia, Argentina, Canada an Hungary will be screened along with plenty of domestic works. Highlights include a behind-the-scenes look at Pixar featuring Jim Capobianco, a longtime member of the animation giant; a Q&A with “Black Stallion” creator Carroll Ballard, animation workshops and screenings of films by Bay Area youth. Events and screenings run through Jan. 31 at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. A schedule, more information and tickets for various events as well as weekend passes are available at http://baicff.com/

The Pennsylvania band Dr. Dog, known for its love 1960s music and killer stage shows, comes to the Fox Theater in Oakland Jan. 30. (Publicity photo)

Much like Phish, Dr. Dog is known as one of those bands that “you’ve got to see live” to fully appreciate. Fans will have the chance to do just that when this popular Pennsylvania neo-psychedelia/indie-rock troupe performs Jan. 30 at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Opening the show is Hop Along, the Philadelphia indie-folk-rock act that received much acclaim for its third studio album, last year’s “Painted Shut.” Show time is 8 p.m., and tickets are $27.50; www.ticketmaster.com.
— Jim Harrington, Staff

Get ready for some old-timey music, courtesy of Santa Cruz’s Devil Makes Three. The talented trio, which consists of vocalist-guitarist Pete Bernhard, standup bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist-banjo player Cooper McBean, brings its mix of ragtime, country, blues, jazz and other styles to the Fox Theater in Oakland on Jan. 22-23. Arrive on time to see the opening act, acclaimed singer-songwriter Parker Millsap. Showtime each night is 8 p.m., and tickets are $27.50, www.ticketmaster.com.
— Jim Harrington, Staff

Bay Area singer-songwriter Jenny Gillespie won raves for her 2014 album “Chamma” (released when she was still based in Chicago). Now she’s back with “Cure for Dreaming,” featuring more of her ethereal yet meticulously crafted blend of pop, folk, jazz and country, all wrapped in a voice that will remind you a little of Tori Amos. The album drops Jan. 29; and Gillespie will showcase the new release with a show 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at Starline Social Club, 645 West Grand Ave., Oakland. Singer-songwriter Angela James opens. Tickets are $22, and proceeds benefit Heshima Kenya, a nonprofit that aids refugees and orphaned young women in Africa. Get tickets here.

Critics are really buzzing about Sturgill Simpson, the alt-country singer-songwriter from Kentucky. Simpson’s latest album, 2014’s “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music,” has received overwhelmingly strong reviews. He also has found much success at the prestigious Americana Awards Show, winning emerging artist of the year in 2014 and then artist of the year in 2015. Simpson performs Nov. 18 at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Billy Wayne Davis opens the concert. Show time is 8 p.m., and tickets are $29.50; www.ticketmaster.com.
— Jim Harrington, Staff

Trey Anastasio is having a busy year. The vocalist-guitarist brought his jam-band juggernaut Phish to the Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View in July; he channeled (sort of) the late Jerry Garcia during the mammoth “Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead” shows in Santa Clara and Chicago earlier in the summer. Now he brings the Trey Anastasio Band to the Fox Theater in Oakland at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6-7; $42.50; www.ticketmaster.com.
— Jim Harrington, Staff

Here are a few suggestions, from my Weekend Top 10 column.CYPRESS STRING QUARTET:The acclaimed foursome is feeling intimate this week — that is, they are kicking off their salon series of performances in small halls around the Bay Area, featuring a program of Beethoven’s string quartet Op. 130 and a revival of George Tsontakis’ commissioned String Quartet No. 6. Details: 8 p.m. Oct. 16 at Maybeck Studio, Berkeley, 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at Kanbar Performing Arts Center, San Francisco, 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at Woman’s Club of Palo Alto; $50; cypressquartet.com.DIMENSIONS DANCE THEATER:The Oakland company presents “The Town On Notice,” Deborah Vaughan’s evening-length work that tackles gentrification and other changes and financial pressures in Oakland. The work features choreography by Latanya d. Tigner and Colette Eloi, along with spoken word performances, live music and even stand-up comedy by Micia Mosely. Details: 8 p.m. Oct. 17; Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, Oakland; $25; www.dimensions-dance.org.“THE SUBMARINE SHOW”:Two Bay Area clown performers — Emmy winner Slater Penney and Cirque du Soleil alum Jaron Hollander — star in this 60-minute family-friendly farce in which they portray birds, fish, monsters and the titular submarine. Details: Through Oct. 24; Harry’s Upstage at Aurora Theatre, Berkeley; $28-$32; 510-843-4822, auroratheatre.org.GANG OF FOUR:The legendary London band founded in 1977 marries brash punk-funk tunes with fiery revolutionary politics. The current lineup features founding member guitarist Andy Gill and is touring behind the new album “What Happens Next,” with Bay Area club dates this weekend. Details: With opener The New Regime; 9 p.m. Oct. 16 at the New Parish, Oakland ($30-$35, thenewparish.com); 9 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Catalyst, Santa Cruz ($25, www.catalystclub.com).
My entire column is here.

For those keeping score at home, Diana Krall definitely kills it better as a jazz artist than a pop interpreter. That was brought home Sunday night when the supremely gifted pianist and singer played Oakland’s Fox Theater, backed by a wonderful and versatile band.

The best moments of the show found her delving into jazz and Great American Songbook standards, rather than touching on tracks from her new album, “Wallflower,” a collection of contemporary pop covers.